The Wahpeton times., 1887-12-15

""Acoy 20 8VAu8 w AuA Uul0
country, or the sober judgment Of
the people who are not under its in
duence."
How About These Taxes.
Pioneer Press The surplus, we
hear on every side, from ultra pro-
tectionists and revenue reformers
alike. must 60. But how ? There's
the rub. The favorite thing now.
among those whom 800. .OO0. 900 an
nually Of revenue has convinced
that something must be done. is to
declare that the taxes on tobacco
and liquor should be repealed. The
argument against that is strong
enough to stand on its own feet.
But perhaps it will help US a little
to look at some other commodities
that are burdened with "war taxes"
and to inquire il all the duty now
levied upon them is necessary for
the protection Of anybody or any
thing. Probably the best-informed
man in this country on all questions
relating to the tariff is Mr.. J. s.
Moore. He has recently published a
letter giving some lists which. it
will pay the taxpayer to examine.
The facts are compiled from the Of.
fetal returns of the fiscal year 1886.
OF articles bearing a duty of more
than 100 per cent. there are four
teen. And an interesting point is
that almost every commodity quoted
In these tables is an article of COM
mon necessity and daily use. Thus
common window glass is taxed a
-trifle more than 100 per cent, and
plate glass 147. Horshoe nails carry
lob and IS per cent. and cleaned rice
.ll2.46.' In the list of articles pay.
ing over 80 and less than go per
cent duty. there are ten enumera-
tions. Among these are the variety
of window glass which is used in
the cheapest houses, and therefore
paid for by the poorest people;
bicarbonate of soda, red led paint.
woolen dress goods and shawls, and
steel rails. There are twenty-five
items in the list bearing duties of
over 20 and less than 80 per cent.
These include varieties of sheet
iron. woolen blankets and flannels,
pig lead, common druggets and the
cheaper bleaohed cottons. The
classiacations on which GO per cent
and upward but not over 20 p er cent
Of duty is levied number forty three.
Here are tho great bulk of wooden
goods. cast-iron pipe. zinc. and few
Chemicals. The attendant upon
circuses and base ball games masti.
nates a duty Of about 64 per cent on
ehs peanuts which help to while
away his time and disarrange his
digestive apparatus. But the
go0ber Of the south is protected
thereby from the pauper peanut of
foreign shores. Forty.nine classic
cations of imports pay between so
and 90 per cent. Here there is such
= variety IS to defy quotation with.
out reprinting the list entire. But
there are two common features
which run through the whole. The
one is that, every item is an article
Nlalch enters into tho consumption
"A > great portion of our population.
Tho other is that, by some sinRularly
uniform arrangement, the finer and
more costly descriptions of goods are
taxed much less heavily than
the coarser and cheaper qualities.
Now the little moral which Mr..
Moore has TO draw is this: by the
census rsturns Of 1880. it appears
chat the, total sum paid in wages in
Inc United States in manufacturing
industries was less than l8 per cent
OF the total value Of manufactured
products. It is plain. then, that,
In the average Of industries, a duty
OF IL per cent would protect the
home laborer against competition,
even II the foreigner worked for
nothing. From the protective stand
point, therefore. this cruel list of
taxes. all Of them exceeding so per
GENT OF the value Of the article pro.
d4ced. is indefensible. In consider.
!lag how to reduce the surplus, It
gould scent to the ordinary intelli.
ehhce that war taxes Of so per cent
td upward on ordinary necessaries |
should receive attention before we
tkpceed to get rid OF the duties on |
aselsss or harmful laxuries.